The Scars of the Past (Still Burn Today)
by Sealure
Summary: "You—you do not know why he hunted the Avatar?" It's a simple question. The answer is anything but. There's a story behind that scar, a story of fire and betrayal and honor that maybe was never lost at all. And the time at last has come to tell it. OR my take on the Gaang learning the truth about Zuko. NO SLASH. FAMILY FEELS ONLY.


**Hello again, my lovelies!**

 **This is the first time I've had the guts to dip my toes into the Avatar: Last Airbender fandom, because I love this show so much, and I really want to do it justice.**

 **So you've gotta let me know how I did, mkay?**

 **WARNINGS: Mentions of a parent burning their child. And of course, my specialty: FEELS. LOTS OF EM. BRING A BOX OF TISSUES.**

 **SPOILERS: Bits of season one episode twelve _The Storm_ and a whole ton of spoilers from season three episodes fourteen and fifteen, _The Boiling Rock._ **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Credit for the magnificent title goes to my equally magnificent brother, who is also my muse, soundboard, and beta! He's amazing and I love him. Without him, I would never have published a single word. He means so much to me, and I am so very grateful to have him as my brother and my best friend.**

 **So without further ado, e** **njoy!**

* * *

 _ **The Scars of the Past (Still Burn Today)**_

* * *

The evening was warm and pleasant, a gentle breeze keeping the temperature just right.

Sokka and Katara were sitting on either side of their father with his arms around their shoulders, chattering away. Suki was right next to Sokka, their fingers interlaced.

Aang and Toph were across the fire, both leaning against Appa and smiling widely as they listened to the Water Tribe family. Chit Sang was in between the two groups, playing with Momo, who had apparently decided to adopt the firebender as his new favorite perch.

Conversation gradually drifted into the tale of the Boiling Rock rescue and escape, told with much laughter and exasperated groans at Sokka's attempt to lie to Chit Sang. He blushed, rubbing the back of his head, and quickly moved on to their cooler sabotage.

"To get Zuko into the cooler, we had to make him firebend," he explained. "So we had Chit Sang move out a little farther into the center of the room, and Zuko ran into him when he was mopping. Then we had them fight each other!"

"Sokka!" Katara scolded as Toph and Aang laughed.

Chit Sang laughed heartily and addressed Zuko. "I have to say, I was surprised at how well you held your own against me."

Zuko let out a quiet huff of laughter from where he was carefully pouring more tea in Toph's cup. "I'm not exactly a stranger to people attacking me."

The big man frowned, and Sokka took over again with a glare.

"Anyway!" he said. "We got Zuko into the cooler. And get this—he managed to unbolt the entire thing in less than two hours! It was awesome!"

He went on to describe finding Suki, and then the failed escape attempt, which had Chit Sang clearing his throat and looking away. He told about seeing Hakoda, and then the older Water tribesman chimed in as well, and together, they wove a story full of daring and suspense that had even Zuko and Chit Sang on the edge of their seats, even though they already knew that the gondola lines hadn't actually been cut.

"Back and forth and back and forth the saw went," Sokka said, leaning closer to Aang, Katara, and Toph, whose eyes were as wide as they could go, "slicing through the lines! The gondola swayed, and then, out of nowhere, KABLAM!"

They all jumped.

"Throwing knives sliced through the air, knocking the guards flat and pinning them to the ground," Hakoda took over seamlessly. "A fierce warrior, a young woman, took out every single guard on the platform in less than a minute. She wasn't a bender. She had only her strength of will and her blades. She saved us. Without her, we would never have escaped."

"Wait," Katara rubbed her eyes. "Mai?! _Mai_ saved you?!"

Hakoda nodded.

"Yeah, Azula didn't look very happy about that," Sokka laughed.

Unnoticed by the rest, Zuko's fingers clenched on the teapot.

"Guess the Fire Nation is just full of traitors," Katara said, just loud enough for Zuko to hear her.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, refusing to react.

Chit Sang frowned deeply at Katara. "The girl will pay a heavy price for that," he said gravely. "She may have saved your father and your brother, but there was no one there to save her. She sacrificed herself."

"Our family has never taken kindly to traitors," Zuko said hoarsely. "I sincerely doubt she's still alive."

Katara swallowed hard at all the dark looks being aimed her way. "I'm sorry," she said softly, but Zuko shook his head.

"It's fine," he muttered. "Even if Azula was merciful and just imprisoned her for life, there's no way that Ozai would let anyone get away with betraying his daughter."

"Imprisoned for life?!" Aang sounded horrified. "That's…that's awful!"

Zuko shrugged, eyes still fixed on the fire. "It's better than the alternative."

"But what if someone vouched for her?" Suki said suddenly. "What about that other girl, Ty Lee?"

Zuko shook his head again, eyes going far away and haunted. "Ty Lee knows better than most what happens when you speak out against the Fire Lord."

"What happens?" Sokka asked curiously.

"Nothing good," the former prince said bitterly.

"So it's true," Chit Sang said breathlessly, eyes fixed on Zuko's face—or more specifically, his scar.

"What?" he blinked at the older firebender.

"You are the Prince," he said. "You're Prince Zuko."

"Not anymore," he replied, shoulders slumping as he moved to pour Aang some more tea.

"Do you know who I am?" the man asked, suddenly changing topics.

Zuko raised his good eyebrow. "Chit Sang?" he deadpanned.

"I am Lieutenant Yan of the 41st Division, my lord," Chit Sang said softly, and the teapot tumbled from Zuko's hands, crashing to the floor.

His face went terribly white, and he knelt to pick up the teapot. His hands were shaking, and he wouldn't meet Chit Sang's eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I tried. I just—it wasn't enough. I'm sorry."

"It was more than enough," Chit Sang said fiercely, voice trembling with emotion. "We know what you did for us, my Prince. It was more than enough. And the price you paid for it…"

Zuko flinched, eyes closing. "I failed," he whispered.

"No!" the soldier said sharply. "You were the only one who did _not_ fail. You fought for us. And we knew that. It gave us something to fight for."

Zuko looked up at him, golden eyes shimmering with tears. "What?" he croaked.

Chit Sang rose to his full height and bowed to the boy kneeling on the ground. "We fought for _you,_ Prince Zuko," he said clearly. "Because of that, some of us survived. You are our Prince, our leader, and we will follow you and fight for you until the day we die."

Zuko stared up at him, a single tear streaking down his good cheek.

Katara snorted. "Might wanna double check who you put your loyalty in," she scoffed. "Your so-called _leader_ is a no-good traitor who'll turn his back on you the minute it benefits him."

The fire roared four feet high, and everyone scrambled away from it in surprise.

"You will still your tongue, you foolish girl," Chit Sang snapped, fists clenched.

Hakoda fluidly rose into a fighting position in front of his daughter, and Sokka slid his hand into his boomerang sheath.

"Stand down, soldier," Zuko said quietly. He didn't raise his voice, but it rang with power and authority. His tears had dried, and his golden eyes were firm.

Chit Sang clenched his jaw but dipped his head in acknowledgement of the order and seated himself again.

"You know nothing of the Prince," he said fiercely.

Katara glared at him. "Know nothing of the Prince?!" she shouted. "I know that he's tracked us all over the world! I know that he's tried to imprison and enslave the world's last hope at least a hundred times! I know that he's the reason Ba Sing Se fell! He's even the reason his uncle was captured by his psychotic sister and his power-mad, murderous father! And I know that _he's just like them!"_

Zuko's head snapped up. His golden eyes widened, and his soft gasp was somehow louder than Katara's furious shouts.

"What?!" Toph and Sokka shrieked in unison.

"Katara," Aang said with a frown. "I don't think that's right."

"Oh?!" she whipped around. "He betrayed us, Aang!"

"I don't care if he _hurt your feelings_ , Sugar Queen!" Toph butted in angrily. "Take a look at whose fire he's sitting at right now. He left his own _family_ to follow us. He had no guarantee that we'd accept him. Matter of fact, for all he knew, we could've just killed him! Yet here he is. Helping us."

"He betrayed his own people to come back here!" Katara retorted. "He betrays everyone he comes into contact with! And why are you defending him, Toph?! He burned your feet!"

Zuko closed his eyes and bowed his head, his trembling fingers twisting themselves in his long hair.

"Hey!" Toph slammed her hand down on the ground and sprang to her feet. " _I_ startled _him_! It was the day after the freaking Invasion, when everything went wrong for everyone who wasn't Azula! He was alone and exhausted and afraid and in the middle of a nightmare! And I, someone who has been his enemy until now, just stomped my way into his camp. I practically asked for it. And he was instantly apologetic, and he tried to help me and I wouldn't let him. That wasn't his fault. He still apologizes for it every other day!"

"So?!" Katara shouted, throwing out her arms. "He's still a filthy liar!"

"Hey, he helped us save Dad!" Sokka put in. "Katara, I know that he hunted Aang for a long time for no good reason, but I really think—"

"You—you do not know why he hunted the Avatar?" Chit Sang asked, eyes wide.

The girls froze in their argument and looked at each other, then at the boys, and then back to Chit Sang, shaking their heads.

He turned his disbelieving expression on his Prince, and Zuko shrugged without raising his head.

"It never came up," he said hoarsely.

"It never came…" Chit Sang rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. "So, they do not know."

Zuko shook his head.

The older man's mouth twisted in displeasure. "I can remedy that."

"No!" Zuko finally looked up, and Aang sucked in a sharp breath at the pleading expression on the boy's face. "No, that's…it doesn't matter."

"I think it does, Zuko," the Avatar said gently. "And besides…I would kind of like to know why you chased me for so long. If you don't mind, of course."

Zuko stared at him for a minute, obviously wanting nothing more than to say _NO,_ loudly and emphatically. But he swallowed hard and nodded his agreement, pulling his knees to his chest and winding his arms around them.

It made him look horribly small.

Chit Sang took a deep breath and began.

"Three years ago, the Fire Lord held a War Council in his throne room…"

* * *

To say the least, Hakoda was curious about the Fire Nation Prince. Or ex-Prince, as it so happened. The name _Zuko_ had not had a single positive memory associated with it the last time he spoke with his children. And yet here he was, guarding their backs, refusing to rise to his daughter's—admittedly cruel—jabs and remarks.

Hakoda hadn't been in the Boiling Rock very long. But he had seen a firebender being brought back to his cell after only one hour in the cooler. The man's fingers and toes were black, and he was shaking so hard the guards could barely keep ahold of him. He was unconscious and barely breathing.

So, for Zuko to have survived two hours and walk out on his own two legs, perfectly alright…the boy was a powerful bender. That was for sure.

He'd risked his life to protect Sokka and Suki, and then again to save Hakoda himself. Because Sokka snuck back into the prison in a guard's uniform, perfectly safe and protected, personally guarding Suki. Zuko walked back in as a prisoner, trapped and chained in a place where, had they found out who he was, they would have murdered him without a second thought.

According to the young earthbender, he had left his home and his family to do what he believed was right. Hakoda was well acquainted with that feeling, leaving your loved ones to protect them. But…Zuko wouldn't be protecting his family. He would be fighting them.

His sister…the man had to repress a shudder at the memory of those insane eyes and wild blue fire, fire that the boy in front of them had risked his life to protect them from.

She would have killed her own brother without a moment's hesitation.

And Hakoda didn't even want to think about the boy's father…

But the Prince never faltered.

Hakoda supposed he should stop thinking of him as a Prince, because he wasn't one anymore, but the way that he acted, and his eyes…there was a look in those golden eyes that reminded Hakoda of his own father, the late chief of the Southern Water Tribe.

Wise, tired eyes that had seen far too much.

Old eyes.

Too old for a boy of only sixteen summers.

For a boy Sokka's age.

But there was strength in those eyes as well, strength and the will to survive. This boy was a survivor, as the scar on his face attested to. There were other scars that Hakoda had noticed in the prison, old marks on his arms and shoulders.

Marks left by fire and sword and arrow.

The boy had the eyes of an old chief and the body of an experienced warrior and a heart of pure gold.

So, to say the least, Hakoda was curious about the Fire Nation Prince.

He'd only known him a couple of days, but he was already more than impressed by what he'd seen.

"The Fire Lord was waging war on the Earth Kingdom," Chit Sang said. "But we were losing, because the earthbenders were strong and fierce, and they outnumbered us. There was one regiment in particular that the army just could not get past. So, one of the higher generals put out a recommendation: send in the 41st."

"The 41st…" Sokka frowned. "Wasn't that your regiment?"

Hakoda got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Chit Sang nodded. "But here's the catch: the 41st was made of entirely new recruits. Most of us were from the Earth Kingdom colonies that the Fire Nation already possessed. We'd never been in a war. We were farmers, not soldiers. But we were drafted anyway. Then our captain got the order to move our entire division straight to the front lines to face the fiercest regiment of earthbenders that the Fire Nation had ever encountered."

Hakoda bowed his head with a sigh. He knew where this was going.

"What?!" Aang's mouth dropped open. "But…but…but you would've been killed!"

"Exactly," Chit Sang said grimly. "When the earthbenders attacked us, another force of firebenders would flank their regiment. We were just the bait."

"That's horrible!" Katara's hands flew to cover her mouth.

"That's…really, really awful," Toph swallowed hard, paling a little bit.

Suki held on tighter to Sokka's hand. "And no one spoke out against this?"

Chit Sang smiled suddenly. "One person did," he said. "Our Prince rose to his feet, before the Council and the Fire Lord, and declared the old general's plan to be wrong and cruel."

Hakoda nodded, not surprised.

"Whoa," Toph grinned. "Way to go, Sparky."

Zuko managed a soft smile and a light tap on the ground for her. His face was still horribly pale.

Chit Sang's smile faded. "But there was a cost for his outspokenness."

Hakoda sucked in a sharp breath.

 _Banished prince…_

Surely the Fire Lord wouldn't banish his own son simply for speaking out of turn…

The firebender continued. "The Fire Lord was furious. He demanded that the Prince atone for his disrespect to the old general. He ordered him to fight an Agni Kai."

Hakoda felt the blood drain from his face. Oh, that was so much worse.

"A what?" Sokka tilted his head.

"A Fire Duel," Hakoda supplied, mouth dry. "Ozai commanded a thirteen-year-old boy to fight an experienced general in a Fire Duel to either death or dishonor."

Zuko curled into himself.

Katara let out a little squeaky sound, and Sokka swallowed hard, pulling Suki into his arms. They held each other tight. Aang slid impossibly closer to Appa, and Hakoda pulled Katara close to him. Toph's milky eyes were wide with horror, and she crawled over to Zuko, poking him with a hand that was visibly shaking.

He raised his head to look at her, and Hakoda nearly cried at the exhausted, hurting _child_ that he saw looking out from behind those broken eyes of liquid gold. Toph offered a teeny little smile, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She wound her own around his waist and held on tight.

Chit Sang nodded. "An Agni Kai," he repeated, shaking his head. "But the Prince would stop at nothing to defend his people. He stood tall in the face of the Fire Lord's fury and declared that he would fight the old general. But he had misunderstood."

"Mis…misunderstood?" Aang looked like he was about to be sick.

Chit Sang closed his eyes. "The Prince thought that he would be fighting the general that he had insulted," he said softly. "But by speaking out of turn in the Fire Lord's throne room…"

Hakoda's breath hitched. _Surely not_ …

Zuko's eyes closed, and he got impossibly paler.

"He had disrespected the Fire Lord himself," Chit Sang finished.

"Surely not," Hakoda breathed. "Surely…his _son…_ " he turned his disbelieving eyes on the Prince. "Your _father?!"_

The boy took in a shaky breath and met Hakoda's eyes. "He hasn't been a father in a very long time," he rasped. "And I showed him the highest disrespect, in front of his generals, no less. It seems obvious who I would have to fight, looking back. But at the time, I was so sure it would be the General, and I was so sure that I would win."

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I was a fool," he said softly. "I was a naïve, foolish child. When I turned and saw my fa—saw the Fire Lord at the end of the arena—" he bowed his head, visibly trembling, and Aang sped across the room to press close to the side Toph hadn't already claimed.

There was silence for a long moment before Suki broke it gently.

"Zuko? Do you mind if Chit Sang finishes the story?"

The boy shook his head, eyes still shut tight, and Aang and Toph held him tighter.

"When the Prince saw who his opponent was," Chit Sang continued heavily, "he refused to fight. He bowed before his Fire Lord, prostrated himself on the ground before his father, and he begged for mercy."

"Stupid," Zuko whispered, shaking from head to foot. "The Fire Lord has no mercy. Ignorant, naïve, _stupid_ boy…"

Sokka released Suki's fingers and slid closer to the other boy, brows furrowed.

"The Fire Lord ordered him to stand and fight," the soldier said. "The Prince refused. 'I only had the best interests of the Fire Nation at heart!', he said. But the Fire Lord would not hear him. 'You will learn respect,' he said—"

"'And suffering will be your teacher'," Zuko finished in a tortured whisper.

Hakoda's blood froze in his veins.

Aang let out a strangled whimper, and Toph actually crawled into Zuko's lap, tears welling in her milky eyes.

Katara's face was pale, and Suki's hands were over her mouth. Chit Sang's face was lined with sorrow and anger.

"What—" Katara faltered. "He didn't…"

"And then," Zuko went on as though he hadn't heard her, "he stopped in front of me. I raised my head and I said, 'Please, Father! I am your loyal son!'" he laughed bitterly, hysterically. "He reached out and cupped my face, and I thought—" he shook his head, fingers digging into his hair. " _And then he set my face on fire."_

Katara made a sort of cry of denial, and Sokka practically teleported over to Zuko. Toph was sobbing quietly into his chest, and Aang was in tears, somehow managing to fit himself in Zuko's lap without dislodging Toph. Sokka wrapped all three of them in his arms, and Suki wasn't far behind, coming in on Aang's side to slide her arm over Zuko's shoulders, sobs shaking her own.

Hakoda couldn't move. He felt like he'd just been stabbed.

 _And then he set my face on fire._

The boy's father had burned his face.

 _The man had lit his child's face on fire._

He had looked down, at his _son_ , begging for mercy on his knees—which was horrifying enough on its own—had reached out, gentle, and _scarred_ his child.

He felt like he was going to throw up.

"I passed out," Zuko said, his voice even hoarser than usual. "When I woke up, I was on a ship. I couldn't see, I could barely hear, and I still felt like I was _burning_. Uncle was there, and he explained it to me." He took a shaky breath and sat up straighter. The others let him, but none of them lost contact with him. "I was banished, on pain of death, from all Fire Nation lands, seas, and colonies. Unless…" Zuko swallowed hard. "Unless I returned with the Avatar in chains."

Aang almost screamed. "That was why you chased me?! Because I was the only chance you had at getting home?!"

"I'm so sorry, Aang," Zuko choked out, and Toph quickly moved out of the way as the young Avatar threw himself at his firebending teacher. Zuko caught him and they clung to each other with a desperation that hurt to watch.

"But I had been gone for a hundred years," Aang gasped, strangled. "There wasn't even—you didn't—where did you even _start?!_ Did you even know if I was still _alive_?!"

Zuko shook his head, buried in Aang's shoulder. "I don't think—" he sounded horrifically young. "I don't think I was supposed to succeed."

Toph sobbed and slung her arms around Zuko's waist again.

"But—" Sokka's voice was choked, his blue eyes full of tears. "But what about that Zhao guy? He had orders directly from the Fire Lord to capture the Avatar."

"Believe me, I know," Zuko replied, not loosening his hold on Aang. "He press-ganged my crew into joining his army, and then tried to blow up my ship with me still on it." He shrugged. "That's why I looked so terrible at the North Pole."

"I'm sorry."

The choked sob came from Katara, who was standing a little bit away from the tangle of bodies on the floor.

Zuko's golden eyes— _hurtshamepainlossguiltguiltguilt—_ locked onto her teary blues, and he didn't say anything, just held out his arms.

Aang slid out of his lap and he and Toph latched onto each other tightly, turning to Suki as she wrapped them up in a hug.

Katara sobbed, stumbling forward and falling down into Zuko's embrace. "I'm so sorry!" she cried, and he just stroked her hair back with one hand. "I was just so _angry_ and I didn't even try to understand, and you've been through _so much_ and all you wanted to do was go _home,_ and I'm just _so sorry!"_

Hakoda's throat was closing up. The easy way Zuko held her, murmuring quiet reassurances into her hair…it reminded him of when his children were small, when Katara would have a nightmare. Sokka would hold her just like that.

From the way his son's shoulders were shaking, he'd recognized the scene as well.

"Spirits above," Sokka said hoarsely, and threw himself back into the embrace.

"That is so messed up," Aang hiccuped, worming his way back to Zuko's lap. "So, so wrong and messed up."

"Actually," Zuko said, "the Fire Lord was well within his rights to do what he did. I disrespected him, and refused to fight like a coward, and then—"

Katara swiped at her eyes and sat upright, reaching out to place her hand over Zuko's scar. He flinched just a little, and her shoulders shook.

"It wasn't your fault," she said, voice ruined by tears. " _You didn't deserve that, Zuko._ "

He stared at her, eyes wide and disbelieving.

"I—I can't—" he shook his head, shaking from head to foot.

Toph pushed her way forward then, gently grabbing the good side of his face to turn him in her direction. Tears were streaming down her face, but her voice and hand were steady.

"It was wrong, Zuko," she said. Tears started to pool in the Prince's undamaged eye. She wiped them away as they escaped. "It was so very, very wrong."

Zuko's chest heaved once, twice, and then his face crumpled. His arms came up around Toph _tight_ , and she wrapped her own around his neck, crying into his shoulder.

The others added themselves to the embrace, and Hakoda wasn't too surprised to feel tears escaping his own eyes.

He ran a hand down his face. "Sea and snow…" he rasped.

"Yeah," Chit Sang agreed quietly.

"His own father?"

The firebender's mouth twisted. "With no hesitation."

"And—and he said he woke up on the ship? Already banished?" Hakoda shook his head. "I can't…I can't even imagine."

Chit Sang nodded in understanding.

Together, they watched as Zuko ( _broken boy, burned boy, hurting child behind golden eyes)_ was firmly wrapped up in the arms of people who truly, legitimately cared about and loved him for the first time in a long time.

* * *

Zuko didn't really let himself cry.

He allowed a precious few tears to escape, and then, in only a few minutes he was sitting up and wiping his eyes.

"Sorr—" he started, and Toph punched him _hard._ He jerked and blinked at her. "What was that for?"

"If I never hear the word _sorry_ come out of your mouth again, it will be too soon," she said, voice shaking. She sniffed, and another tear escaped one pale green eye.

Zuko swept the tear away. "My most sincere apologies," he said with a faint smile.

Toph mock-glared for a moment, but then she smiled a little, and promptly snuggled back up to Zuko's side.

Aang instantly took her place in Zuko's lap, clinging to him. Zuko's heart hurt at the guilt and pain filling his big grey eyes.

He didn't let the boy even get his mouth open before he embraced him, tightly.

"You had nothing to do with it, Aang," he said firmly. "You didn't know, and I am so glad that I never caught you."

"I'm still so sorry," Aang whispered. "I wish I had known. I just—"

"Hey," Zuko rubbed his back gently. "It's okay."

"I'm sorry, too," Katara said, wiping her own eyes.

Zuko's eyes went wide, and his brain went blank with shock.

"But—" he blinked up at her. "I'm not wor—"

"Please don't say you're not worth it," Aang said in a rush, a sob escaping before he could stop it. "Please don't say that. You are. You are so worth it."

Zuko's arms tightened around him, so much emotion welling up in his chest he thought he was going to explode. "Thank you," he said hoarsely.

"No problem," Sokka said, clapping his hand on Zuko's shoulder. He gave the other boy a shaky smile, and Suki leaned over and kissed his forehead.

"I know this may not mean much coming from somebody you don't really know," she told him, "but I am so proud of you. So very, very proud of you for standing up for what you knew was right."

Zuko gave her a small smile and was opening his mouth to respond when Katara and Sokka's father spoke up.

"You are a loyal son, Prince Zuko," Hakoda's face was solemn and compassionate.

Zuko's heart _thumped_ painfully in his chest, and he made a broken little noise without meaning to. He bowed his head, letting his ragged bangs hide his stinging eyes.

That…that _hurt._

That hurt a _lot._

 _What a cruel irony._

Katara's eyes snapped with protective anger on Zuko's behalf. "Dad!" she hissed.

Aang slid out of his lap, and a pair of heavy hands rested on his shoulders.

"The Fire Lord is a cruel man, and he has no honor," Hakoda said softly. He lifted Zuko's chin so they were eye to eye. "Maybe that's why he tried so hard to steal yours."

Zuko stared at him, speechless, absolutely certain that his heart had just stopped in his chest.

 _What?!_

Hakoda gently pulled him forward, and he went numbly as the chief wrapped his arms around him in a warm, protective embrace.

Zuko could feel himself shaking, and Hakoda cradled the back of his head.

 _This is what a father is supposed to be like._

"You did well, Prince Zuko," Hakoda said softly. "Your honor is your own. If you ever lost it at all, I assure you: you have regained all that you had and more. Well done, Prince Zuko."

And Zuko _broke._

Deep, heart-wrenching sobs tore their way out of the Prince, and he clung to Hakoda desperately and it _hurt._

Because this is what he'd been searching for. All those bitter, painful, empty years, full of failure and fear and grief and loss…wrapped up in this one embrace was everything he had ever wanted.

Protection.

Kindness.

Approval.

Acceptance.

 _Love._

He had never envied anyone in his life more than he did Sokka and Katara in that moment.

"I wanted to be enough," Zuko cried. "That's all I wanted. I just wanted to be _enough._ "

"You are enough, Zuko," Hakoda reassured him quietly. "You are more than enough. The Fire Lord is a man full of hatred and cruelty and he does not understand love and forgiveness. You are full of both, and he fears you, because it makes you so much stronger than him."

Zuko heard his simple conviction, his absolute certainty that his words were true, and couldn't help but believe it, just a little bit himself.

"That's it," Sokka sniffed, and Zuko felt the Water Tribe boy press up against his back, wrapping his arms around the Prince's shoulders. "Dad, we're adopting him."

"Okay," Hakoda said with a laugh. He rubbed Zuko's back. "That's fine with me."

He heard a sniff from his right, and then Katara was winding her own arms around his waist. "Agreed," she said in a wobbly voice.

Zuko pulled back, eyes wide.

 _There's no way I heard that right._

"What?" he whispered, voice cracking.

Hakoda's blue eyes were so gentle and so kind that Zuko almost couldn't bear to meet them.

"It's up to you," he said. "But there is a tradition in the Southern Water Tribe. If a child has been orphaned, or is being mistreated in their home, another family can take the child and make them a part of their family. I would be more than willing to do this for you, Zuko, if you would like."

He turned his shocked gaze to Sokka.

The other boy's grin softened, and he gripped Zuko's shoulders. "Zuko, I was wrong about you," he said. "You are an incredible swordsman, a powerful bender, and one of the kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in my life. I would be honored to call you my brother."

"But…" Zuko spluttered. "Katara?"

She wiped her eyes and gave him a teary smile. "I have treated you horribly," she said. "In Ba Sing Se, if I was in your place…" she sniffed. "I would have done the exact same thing. And now knowing the truth, about both that and this—" she gently placed her hand on his scar, "—you _are_ an honorable man, Zuko. I would be beyond honored to have you for a second brother."

He could feel tears welling up in his eye again, but this time, when Katara reached out, he didn't flinch. She wiped away his tears and kissed his scar with another smile.

Zuko turned back to Hakoda, still unable to comprehend what was happening.

Hakoda rested a hand on the side of his neck, a gentle, grounding touch that reminded him of Uncle.

"It's your choice, Zuko," he told him. "But I meant every word that I said. I would be so very proud to be able to call you my son."

Zuko tried to answer, but his voice utterly failed him, and his vision went blurry with emotion. Unable to speak, he just nodded, and Hakoda's smile was blinding.

He pressed a kiss to the boy's forehead and then pulled him into his arms. Sokka and Katara cheered and piled in, and Zuko wasn't ashamed to say that he cried again, but this time, it was from sheer relief and joy and hope.

"Thank you," he managed to choke out. " _Thank you_."

"You are so welcome," Hakoda said, voice as full of emotion as Zuko's.

Aang and Toph and Suki all piled back in, and Chit Sang rested a heavy hand on his shoulder, and Zuko realized for the first time in three yea—no. Since his mother left.

For the first time since his mother left, he finally felt wanted.

He felt like he belonged.

He felt loved.

No more weighing every word he said for fear they would be used against him.

No more sleeping with one eye open and a knife under his pillow.

No more _fear._

Just simple, straightforward _love_.

No conditions, strings, or take-backs.

Katara pressed a kiss to his forehead and tucked her head against his shoulder. "Welcome home, brother," she whispered, and Zuko's heart stuttered in his chest.

 _Home?_

And then Zuko realized.

There on the floor of the Western Air Temple with one of his own people, a Water Tribe Chief, a Wolf Warrior, a waterbender, the Avatar, an earthbender, and a Kyoshi Warrior, at long, long last, he _was_ home _._

"Home," he breathed, and tightened his hold on Aang and Toph.

"You don't have to search anymore," Aang told him tearfully. He was smiling.

Suki sniffed. "We're all your family now, Zuko."

Sokka gently ruffled his hair. "And we're never giving up on you."

"Ever," Hakoda said warmly, and his blue eyes carried a promise written in stone.

"Face it, Sparky," Toph punched him. "You're stuck with us."

He had to laugh, and looked up at all of them with a trembling smile.

"I honestly can't think of anything I want more in all the world," he said softly.

And as he was thoroughly trapped in the group hug again, he realized the truth of his own words.

He was home.

Somebody's elbow was digging into his ribs, and his hair was being pulled, and his left leg was going to sleep, and he had never been happier in his entire life.

Momo came whizzing up from behind Hakoda and curled up on his head, and then Appa moaned and dropped his head on all of them.

As Aang tried to get him to move and Toph and Sokka yelled threats and Katara just groaned, Zuko threw back his head and burst out laughing.

Yeah.

He was home.

* * *

 **Ugh, this just made me so happy to write.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed it! Drop me a line or two to let me know what you liked, didn't like. It really helps me improve my writing, and it motivates me to get more stories out!**

 **Love y'all!**

 **Till next time~~**


End file.
